… The study did not include people who are street-entrenched or who have serious addictions or mental health issues, Zhao noted, adding people who fit that criteria do not make up the majority of homeless people.
I think the Doctors estimate of the numbers of homeless affected by mental health, substance and or alcohol abuse issues is a bit on the optimistic side. But the face of the homeless is likely changing due to the housing crisis forcing victims without addictions or mental illness onto the streets.
This advocacy group posts higher incidence rates than he suggests: “Let’s start by looking at how many people who are currently experiencing homelessness actually have a mental illness or a substance use disorder. Based off of the 2019 Point in Time Count that was conducted this past January, only 33 percent of the people who were unsheltered reported substance use disorders, and only 26 percent reported mental health issues.”
This UK site has a study with much higher numbers.
